Critters on the course you ran into...

[DavidSauls]

After Hurricane Irma, the Hillsborough River flooded a little making USF Riverfront course kind of swampy. It also encouraged this gator to venture out. I'm not an expert on measuring gators but I imagine maybe 8 feet long. The Tees there are a little short here.

This righty would be teeing off forehand, which I never do.

I'm not turning my back on him.

 

[pearlybakerbest]

That's what I generally hear them referred to here as well. My first encounter with one was in the cab of a tractor, and it built its web about half an inch away from the armrest of the seat, so they creep the hell out of me.

Was it really big? I've seen lots of these big yellow and black spiders and have heard them referred to as "garden spiders".

Found this on the course yesterday. Never see a spider with these markings before.

They are commonly called garden spiders or orb weavers.

 

[Nova P]

This Ornate Box Turtle (I think) could not run away quickly enough to escape my camera's gaze, at Recreation Park in Raymore, Missouri:

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I was playing Cali one time on the front nine of our public course, the easy nine.. I came off the front nine with 10 birds. No I didn't ace any.


You can guess from the thread how I did it.. I shot 9 birdies and found a little one that I carried out in my hat. They never make it though.

 

[pearlybakerbest]

This Ornate Box Turtle (I think) could not run away quickly enough to escape my camera's gaze, at Recreation Park in Raymore, Missouri:

There is a monster snapping turtle who loves to sun bath on a fairway with a drainage creek connecting two large ponds at the community college course in Rochester, NY. Made me think twice about getting my feet wet to retrieve discs after I saw him the first time.

 

[Nova P]

There is a monster snapping turtle who loves to sun bath on a fairway with a drainage creek connecting two large ponds at the community college course in Rochester, NY. Made me think twice about getting my feet wet to retrieve discs after I saw him the first time.

Snapping turtles are no joke.

 

[Noill]

They don't let go... Fortunately turtles are easy to deal with if you see them first

 

[KoRnyWayz]

There's a few beavers that like to chill at The Canyons in Lockport, IL. They have started to care less and less about the golfers. The other day there was one standing near the teepad and just watched me drive.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Saw this little guy sun bathing on hole #17 tee pad at Hudson Mills (Monster). First time seeing a rattle snake there. Photo probably makes it look larger than it really was, looked like a baby, was more worried momma snake might not be far away. Disc gator came in handy as I was able to push him along off the pad so we could play on.

 

[dashiellx]

Momma rattlesnakes abandon their young after the first shed (usually about two weeks old). If this one was out of the den, its momma was nowhere around.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Saw this little guy sun bathing on hole #17 tee pad at Hudson Mills (Monster). First time seeing a rattle snake there. Photo probably makes it look larger than it really was, looked like a baby, was more worried momma snake might not be far away. Disc gator came in handy as I was able to push him along off the pad so we could play on.

I'd seen the signs posted alerting of their presence on/near the course and have been on the lookout for one... never actually saw one myself. Glad you were able to see it as you approached and act accordingly.... yet another use for a Disc Gator! :thmbup:

Did it rattle at all when it saw you or when you moved it? I've heard that the sound is quite faint... almost like an insect buzzing.

 

[Future_Primitive]

I'd seen the signs posted alerting of their presence on/near the course and have been on the lookout for one... never actually saw one myself. Glad you were able to see it as you approached and act accordingly.... yet another use for a Disc Gator! :thmbup:

Did it rattle at all when it saw you or when you moved it? I've heard that the sound is quite faint... almost like an insect buzzing.

Likewise, always saw the signs warning about them in the area but never saw one until recently. It was very little, probably about foot long or a bit more, not sure it had even built up its rattle yet. It was very stubborn and really didn't want to leave the concrete. Opted to use about 5-6 feet of the disc gator and nudge it into the grass just to be safe.

Thanks to Dash I now know momma rattler was not waiting just off the pad to strike. :thmbup:

 

[pearlybakerbest]

Likewise, always saw the signs warning about them in the area but never saw one until recently. It was very little, probably about foot long or a bit more, not sure it had even built up its rattle yet. It was very stubborn and really didn't want to leave the concrete. Opted to use about 5-6 feet of the disc gator and nudge it into the grass just to be safe.

Thanks to Dash I now know momma rattler was not waiting just off the pad to strike. :thmbup:

The baby's can actually be more dangerous than the momma's. They don't have the ability to control the amount of venom they inject in their bites yet and can deliver the entirety of their glands in one chomp.

 

[ThrowBot]

The baby's can actually be more dangerous than the momma's. They don't have the ability to control the amount of venom they inject in their bites yet and can deliver the entirety of their glands in one chomp.

^ I've also heard this, but fortunately I cannot personally confirm it to be true.

However, I CAN personally tell you that the smaller ones are more dangerous because they're pretty dumb about how they deal with humans. Larger rattlesnakes (~2 feet and larger) will give you a nice loud rattle, and try to get away/hide when they sense you approaching. On the other hand, the small ones either don't rattle, or it's too quiet to be effective. They also wait in place so long that by the time they move, they go straight into defensive strike mode.

I've also noticed that baby rattlesnakes will sometimes hang out in high traffic areas...seems to fit in with the picture above of one sunning itself on a tee pad! Generally the larger/older snakes are a bit smarter than that.

Personally, I'd recommend that you kill any rattlesnake that lets you get close enough to mess with it. I'm actually surprised to see people on these forums that want to be "nice" to rattlesnakes...sadly, your kindness won't necessarily be paid forward to the next disc golfer that happens upon that snake!

For anyone worried that killing a snake might be bad karma, I'd offer the following anecdote:

I killed a baby rattlesnake this spring (<1' long) that was chilling on the main path into Diamond X. The next day I got an ace on the same course. How's THAT for karma?

 

[Jbrone]

About 2 weeks ago while playing the back 9 at the 22st course here in tampa my driver came to rest on a cottonmouth. Needless to say he was not satisfied with my drive.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I used to see cottonmouths / water moccasins more often than I'd have liked growing up in Miami... usually when fishing. Learned to give to give those guys plenty of space.


FWI, the Massasauga Rattlesnake is the only venomous snake indigenous to MI. It's small compared to what you guys are used to out west, only growing to about 24" - 30". Generally not considered to have the most potent venom, but I suppose that's like saying it's the slowest sprinter in the Olympics.

 

[pearlybakerbest]

^ I've also heard this, but fortunately I cannot personally confirm it to be true.

However, I CAN personally tell you that the smaller ones are more dangerous because they're pretty dumb about how they deal with humans. Larger rattlesnakes (~2 feet and larger) will give you a nice loud rattle, and try to get away/hide when they sense you approaching. On the other hand, the small ones either don't rattle, or it's too quiet to be effective. They also wait in place so long that by the time they move, they go straight into defensive strike mode.

I've also noticed that baby rattlesnakes will sometimes hang out in high traffic areas...seems to fit in with the picture above of one sunning itself on a tee pad! Generally the larger/older snakes are a bit smarter than that.

Personally, I'd recommend that you kill any rattlesnake that lets you get close enough to mess with it. I'm actually surprised to see people on these forums that want to be "nice" to rattlesnakes...sadly, your kindness won't necessarily be paid forward to the next disc golfer that happens upon that snake!

For anyone worried that killing a snake might be bad karma, I'd offer the following anecdote:

I killed a baby rattlesnake this spring (<1' long) that was chilling on the main path into Diamond X. The next day I got an ace on the same course. How's THAT for karma?

I've seen a monster rattler sunning itself on the first teepad of the Renny grey layout in Charlotte, like you say, generally they are more aloof, but teepads just make such great warming surfaces for these cold blooded suckers. I tend to agree with your sentiment on taking them out at courses, since they are such high foot traffic areas. The problem with that is the many wannabe snake experts that go around killing perfectly harmless water snakes assuming their cottonmouths. But, as a course owner I can say any venomous snake I run across is getting the shovel, luckily here in NY it would be a miracle to see one.

 

[Moose33]

The biggest snakes I usually see are king snakes or black racers that can be up to 6' long, and are usually not aggressive. Though they are huge and very fast so can be scary. Smaller rattle snakes and copperheads are around, but less common.

 

[ru4por]

^ I've also heard this, but fortunately I cannot personally confirm it to be true.

However, I CAN personally tell you that the smaller ones are more dangerous because they're pretty dumb about how they deal with humans. Larger rattlesnakes (~2 feet and larger) will give you a nice loud rattle, and try to get away/hide when they sense you approaching. On the other hand, the small ones either don't rattle, or it's too quiet to be effective. They also wait in place so long that by the time they move, they go straight into defensive strike mode.

I've also noticed that baby rattlesnakes will sometimes hang out in high traffic areas...seems to fit in with the picture above of one sunning itself on a tee pad! Generally the larger/older snakes are a bit smarter than that.

Personally, I'd recommend that you kill any rattlesnake that lets you get close enough to mess with it. I'm actually surprised to see people on these forums that want to be "nice" to rattlesnakes...sadly, your kindness won't necessarily be paid forward to the next disc golfer that happens upon that snake!

For anyone worried that killing a snake might be bad karma, I'd offer the following anecdote:

I killed a baby rattlesnake this spring (<1' long) that was chilling on the main path into Diamond X. The next day I got an ace on the same course. How's THAT for karma?

Seems a bit harsh. Perhaps there are areas of the country where venomous snakes have become rogue, rabid, human hunting threats, but the "Michigan Rattler" is a fairly scarce, elusive, and benign creature. Killing it would mean I need to eat it. And I am pretty certain it is not legal to kill them in the MetroParks.
I would suggest leaving it alone, you are not on it's diet and it is usually more afraid of you than you are of it.

 

[ru4por]

Seems a bit harsh. Perhaps there are areas of the country where venomous snakes have become rogue, rabid, human hunting threats, but the "Michigan Rattler" is a fairly scarce, elusive, and benign creature. Killing it would mean I need to eat it. And I am pretty certain it is not legal to kill them in the MetroParks.
I would suggest leaving it alone, you are not on it's diet and it is usually more afraid of you than you are of it.

Per a Michigan State University site:

"In Michigan, as a species of special concern, the eastern massasauga is protected under a special Director of Natural Resources' order, Director's Order No. DFI-166.98, Regulations on the Take of Reptiles and Amphibians (in accordance with sections 1c(1) and (2), chapter II, Act. 165 of the Public Acts of 1929, as amended, being sections 302.1c(1) and 302.1c(2) of the Michigan Compiled Laws). The Director's Order states that it is unlawful to kill, take, trap, possess, buy, sell, offer to buy or sell, barter, or attempt to take, trap, possess or barter an eastern massasauga from the wild except as authorized under a permit from the director. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Fisheries Division can be contacted for more information about this regulation and associated permits."

"Remember that there have been no recorded fatalities in Michigan from massasauga bites in over 50 years."